Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the trial against him regarding the unconstitutional arrest of Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed would not be completed before the presidential election this year, and that he is prepared to face the trial in 2018.
Nasheed said at a press conference at MDP office today, that he would win the election this year and that criminal charges can only be pressed against a president if passed by the parliament. Nasheed said that he did not believe that this is likely to happen.
“I don’t believe that the parliament would pass that [to prosecute a president]. So I’m prepared to face the trial in 2018,” he said.
Nasheed said that thirty hearings have to be held for the trial against him and that this would not be possible during the seven months left before the election.
Elections Commission has announced that the second multi-party election in the Maldives would be held on 7 September. If no candidate is successful in the first round, the second round will be held on 28 September.
Nasheed said that the trial against him would not be completed because the lawyers should be given 15 days between all hearings.
“I believe we should get at least 30 or more hearings for this trial. The lawyers should be given 15 days between every two hearings. Otherwise, what they want to do can’t be done justly. Whether they give or not […], I don’t think they can proceed with the trial in that manner,” he said.
He said that everyone has something to say about his trial, and that he thus does not believe that the trial will be fair.